Then the priests the Levites arose
The priests who were of the tribe of Levi; for there were some in Israel that were not, but were made of any of the people, as in the times of Jeroboam; though some supply the copulative "and"; so the Targum: "and blessed the people"; which was the proper work and business of the priests to do; though, while they were blessing, the Levites might be singing:
and their voice was heard;
meaning not by the people, though undoubtedly it was, but by the Lord; the Targum is,
``their prayer was heard or received;''
for the blessing was delivered in a petitionary way, ( Numbers 6:24 Numbers 6:26 ) , and was no other than a request that God would bless them, which he did:
and their prayer came up to his holy dwellingplace, even unto heaven;
see ( Psalms 3:4 ) ( 18:6 ) by what means it was known their prayer was heard and accepted cannot be said; there might be some visible token of it, as the people were dismissed, and departed.